The “Francophonie” refers to people who share a common language: French, a language spoken by over 300 million people on 5 continents.
The 93 members of the Organisation Internationale de la francophonie (OIF) celebrate the French language they share and the cultural, linguistic diversity they represent, the values they have in common – promoting peace, democracy and human rights – as well as support education, training and gender equality.
The 2025 celebration of Francophonie will take place during the whole month of March at the Institut français d’Écosse with an eclectic and exciting programme of francophone cinema, talks, music, students drama performances and more. Come to celebrate with us and our partners!
PROGRAMME
Sat 1 March at 10.30am
Heure du conte africain
The French Institute will host a special storytelling event filled with captivating African tales that spark imagination and joy! There will be a reading of Le lion et les trois buffles by Moncef Dhouib (author) and May Angeli (illustrator) and other stories for kids.
£7/free for members, for 0-5y/o
Thu 6 March at 5.30pm
French, English and Globish: the Francophonie and the challenge of globalization
Literature has an increasingly global reach. Literary works go more and more global, as does publishing. With international publishing being heavily impacted by the growing hegemony of the anglophone world, its publishing houses, its aesthetic priorities and its imaginary representations, new ways of reading have appeared. In the face of such changes, literature has the power to give voice to certain resilience and to resist streamlining.
Starting with an analysis of the idea of a global language, and taking a historical view of reflection on linguistic diversity, Françoise Král examines the capacity of contemporary literature to create a global imaginary and to help us understand and accommodate ourselves to our globalized condition.
In partnership with the University of Edinburgh
Free, upon registration, in French
Fri 7 March at 7pm
The Ensemble Sésame plays Ravel and Debussy
Naaman Sluchin (violin), Maitane Sebastián (cello) and Julien Le Pape (piano) from the Ensemble Sesame will honor us with a concert at the Institut français d’Écosse in Edinburgh. Let yourself be transported by their musical programme of compositions by Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy!
£15/£12, upon registration
Sat 08 March at 6pm
RU
Based on the Governor General’s Award-winning novel by Kim Thúy, Ru is the story of the arduous journey of a wealthy family fleeing from Vietnam, before landing in Quebec.
After a dangerous sea crossing and a stay in a camp in Malaysia, the young Vietnamese Tinh and her family are accepted as refugees in Canada and arrive in Montreal where they begin their new life. But for Tinh, adapting has its share of difficulties. Already shy and reserved by nature, she must learn a new language and integrate into her new environment. Haunted by the hardships of the journey, Tinh will have to draw deep within herself the resilience necessary for her survival and her happiness.
In partnership with Quebec Government Office – Délégation générale du Québec à Londres
Free, upon registration, in French,Vietnamese with English subtitles
Tue 11 March at 6pm
Teaching francophone audiovisual cultures: What can songs and screens teach language educators and students?
What kinds of spoken French do we find in contemporary song and screen culture? What can the broad range of language varieties evidenced in songs and on screen contribute to the teaching of French?
This conference with Dr David Evans and Dr Pauline Souleau (University of St Andrews) aims to discuss the value of harnessing oral French and new forms of media in the classroom, and how they can help us to reconsider the place of non-standard forms in language teaching and learning, to design new forms of assessment, and to develop students’ transferable skills
Free, upon registration, in English
Thu 13 March at 6pm
Édouard Glissant: a multicultural ideal in an era of resurgent nationalisms
In this talk, Sam Coombes will offer an overview of Glissant’s oeuvre and career prior to focusing on a central dimension of his oeuvre, namely his belief in hybridised, multicultural societies. We live in an era which has witnessed a resurgence of would-be traditionalist, commonly exclusionary nationalisms in many countries across Europe as well as in the United States and beyond over the course of the last fifteen to twenty years. Glissant’s thought not only runs counter to this trend but also, Coombes argues, offers a valuable correction to it and a workable basis on which to defend multiculturalism in a credible, non-identitarian, way.
In partnership with the University of Edinburgh
Free, upon registration, in French
Friday 14 March 2025: Presentation of awards to primary school winners
Friday 21 March 2025: Presentation of awards to secondary school winners
The “Concours de la francophonie” is organised every year by the Institut français d’Ecosse since its creation in 2016. In 2025 two competitions have been organised, one for primary school pupils and one for secondary school pupils.
For the first time the competition associates the Institut français d’Ecosse with the French Film Festival UK Learning Programme (FFF UK), which offers a selection of four films free of charge to all schools every autumn.
For the 2025 edition, we are delighted to have Alasdair Satchel, Scottish film and theatre maker as a patron! Alasdair has kindly accepted to attend the Prize giving ceremonies so all winners have a chance to meet with him and share his passion for cinema and theatre!
The event is sponsored by TotalEnergies and the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland,
In partnership with Education Scotland, SCILT, French Film Festival UK
Event reserved for schools participating in the competition
Sat 15 March at 10.30am
Histoires tirées des livres de l’autrice québécoise Élise Gravel
The French Institute will host a morning of reading with a selection of captivating children’s books by Canadian author and illustrator Élise Gravel. She has published many picture books and graphic novels for kids, both in English and in French. Let yourself be carried away by her funny and engaged stories!
£7/free for members, for 0-5y/o
Sun 23 March at 5pm
Celebrating Celtic Languages
The Institut Français d’Ecosse and Bilingualism Matters invite you to an evening of inspiring talks and conversation to celebrate the “Mois de la francophonie” in Scotland and the opening of the Bilingualism Matters Research Symposium 2025.
The evening will feature three distinguished speakers sharing their personal and professional insights on the rewards and challenges of living and working in Gaelic, Welsh and Breton:
- Jennifer McHarrie, Director of Education at Bòrd na Gàidhlig
- Dr. Gwennan Higham, Director of Bilingualism Matters at Swansea University
- Riwanon Callac, researcher at the Centre de Recherche Bretonne et Celtique
Free, upon registration, in French
27, 28, 29 & 30 March at 6pm
Lorenzaccio, by Alfred de Musset
The play is performed by Les Escogriffes, Edinburgh University’s French Theatre Society. First established in 1969, the society aims to promote Francophone culture through performing arts, including an annual student-led French play.
£5/free for IFE members, in French, upon registration
Sat 29 March, 10am-1pm
Stop-Motion animation workshop
Christopher Tourner, French director trained at the world’s leading school for animation Ecole des Gobelins in Paris will be leading a stop motion animation workshop.
Chris will take the participants through the different steps of a stop-motion animation project in this hands-on workshop stimulating their five senses on the theme of French idiomatic expressions.
Languages: English and French
£45 / 3 heures, upon registration
Venue: Institut français d’Écosse, W Parliament Square, Edinburgh EH1 1RN
Contact
- Julia Bregeron, Communications Coordinator
julia.bregeron@institut-francais.org.uk / 013 1285 6029
